Dead Heart 3: Divided
by cinnysangel
Summary: The third of a series. Stevie and Daryl have led separate lives, each thinking the other is gone for good. Daryl isn't the person she's been looking for and he has only his memories and a ghost to haunt him.
1. Chapter 1

**Dead Heart: Series Three**

 **What Was Once Lost**

 **Chapter 1**

 _ **Sometimes you don't get to choose who you grow closest to. Sometimes it's chosen for you under the worst possible circumstances.**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

 **Alexandria**

Today was no different than all the others since they found Alexandria. Their people tried to fit in yet most of them struggled to blend in with the relaxed lifestyle of the people who lived here. Daryl shrugged on his vest and fastened the last few buttons on his thread bare shirt. It never occurred to him to seek newer clothing, these were clean and that was all that mattered. He thundered down the steps and headed straight to the kitchen. Michonne was sipping a cup of coffee. He nodded a greeting while filling a cup. Black coffee wasn't his thing. He cringed at the first sip. He nodded once more to Michonne then headed to the porch.

Few people were up this early so he was surprised to see Beth sitting on the steps. She was wearing a brown knit sweater with a heavy jean work coat on top of it. Daryl recognized it as something he had seen Spencer wearing. She had on gloves with the finger tips removed and she was also wearing her ever present cowboy boots. She sat with her toes pointing inward as if she was trying to snuggle in tighter to a warm cup of tea. Steam rose from the cup and Beth seemed to sniff it before taking a sip. He scoffed when he came out through the screen door. "That jacket's too big."

Beth smiled at him. "It's warm. Spencer gave it to me. He said it was his brother's"

Daryl ignored the mention of Spencer. He didn't like him and he sure as hell didn't like Beth hanging around him. "Ya ain't got enough sense to go inside when yer cold? Why ya out here?"

"I'm not cold. And, why are you out here?"

Daryl took a seat on the railing in the corner of the porch. He faced in her direction. They sat in silence and watched as the first rays of light came up on the horizon. Beth seemed to be remembering something that made her smile. She looked down at her cup for a moment then he saw her wipe a tear. Daryl didn't know what to say, but she broke the silence for him.

"Every morning I would get up and have a cup of tea with Daddy. He had already been out to the cows and would bring fresh milk." She smiled again and turned her face back up to the sky. "If we had a cow…this tea would taste so much better."

Daryl huffed out a small gruff laugh. "Steaks would taste better."

"She looked at him with a half-smile. "Stop it." She giggled. "I'm being serious."

.

The sky was turning a watery grey with a hint of pink. Soon it looked like it was on fire and gold began to light up the morning. Beth let out a small sigh. "That's beautiful." Daryl nodded but she didn't look in his direction. Instead she kept talking. "I used to think of one day when my husband would be there with Daddy and me. He would take over the farm after Daddy showed him the ropes and we would have children..." Her voice trailed off and she couldn't finish.

They sat for a little while longer and watched the shadows disappear from the streets of Alexandria. Daryl saw lights coming on in the houses and he knew soon this moment would be over.

Beth found her voice again. "Did you believe in love, Daryl Dixon?" Beth shifted her body to face him, tucking one leg up under her. She tilted her head up to feel the warmth of the sun.

His voice was barely above a whispered growl, "Why do you call me that?"

"It's your name, isn't it? Besides don't change the subject. Answer the question." She smiled her usual hopeful smile.

Normally that smile would make him smile too. Today it didn't. He was tired and unsure of his role here with these people. He didn't trust this to always be a safe place. Safety was only temporary. He expected the other shoe to drop any second. And now Beth was asking him about love. What did it mean? Had she fallen for someone here? Or could she be falling for him? "Don't be ridiculous." He scolded himself silently. She can't even call you by your first name.

She was waiting for an answer and all he wanted to do was laugh bitterly. Eventually he mumbled, "Pfffttt. Do you? Do you believe in it, now?"

Beth pursed her lips and he noticed little dimples forming around her mouth. He chewed his thumb nail as he watched her.

.

She looked out at the street. It was mostly deserted except for Rosita and Abe on the wall and Tobin at the guard tower. Occasionally a laugh could be heard from Rosita and a soft rumbled chuckle from Abe. Beth tried to imagine what they were talking about, probably something personal and inappropriate. Beth gave Daryl a sideways glance. "Answering with a question isn't an answer."

When Beth made that expression with her mouth she wasn't frowning. She was chewing on the inside of her cheek. She had a habit of doing that when she was drifting off into her own thoughts. She also kept looking at him with those damn doe eyes of hers. That hopeful view she had when she was talking about the way the world could be or what it should be, bugged him beyond words. Yet he couldn't keep from listening to everything she said and watching her every move.

When Daryl didn't answer, she smiled softly and added, "I didn't mean now. I meant before." She looked at her hands. Although she was clean from the shower, her fingernails still looked dirty around the cuticles. Her nails were rough and ragged and her palms were calloused. She remembered how her daddy had laughed the first time she put on pink nail polish. He told her it would be chipped in an hour. And sure enough, soon into her chores she split her pinkie nail down to the quick. But that didn't stop her from wanting pretty things in her life like doing her nails, or wearing braids in her hair.

He kept his chin low and watched her as if he was looking at her above a pair of reading glasses.

She told him. "I used to. I used to believe in happily ever after. I don't now, but I still believe in love and you should too. You have to." The smile grew wider and she laughed a little as she added, "Mr. Dixon."

.

He didn't want to look at her anymore and risk her seeing how much he liked her smile and how much he wanted to return that smile. He spoke out over the banister as if he was talking to someone in the street. "I didn't believe in nuttin, except…Merle."

Irritation settled on him as he remembered Stevie and how he loved her. He thought about how he was confusing his feeling for Beth. He couldn't risk the loss. Not again. He stood up and paced. Angrily he pointed at her. "This question and answer game you like to play…" he wanted to say it was bullshit. Instead Daryl rubbed both hands over his face and thought better of yelling at her. Quietly he added, "It ain't no fun without booze."

 **xxx**

 **Five months before Alexandria**

The truck was barreling down the interstate at a rate of speed that couldn't be good for their gas mileage. Behind the wheel was Ron Wilson known by most people as Ronny. At one time Ronny was seventy pounds heavy. The apocalypse was one hell of a diet plan because now he was a trim five foot three man in his mid-forties. He sported a jet-black beard and wore his hair combed like Elvis. Even his clothes, a light blue button down shirt and jeans cuffed at the ankles, reminded everyone of an Elvis impersonator on vacation.

In the enclosed back of the truck, Stevie felt the impact of something being hit near the front bumper and she could tell they had run over whatever they hit. Before she could assume it was a walker Ronny was sliding open the window between the cab and bed. "Tally that one Henry. That makes three tonight. You should have seen it. Woo-wee… juicy!" He laughed.

Stevie groaned as she stretched her aching muscles. Ronny mistook it as a reaction to his description of the walker. "Oh, sorry ma'am I didn't realize you were awake."

Henry barked orders at Ronny while closing the window. "Keep your eyes on the road! I swear you wake these kids up I'm going to wring your neck!"

Stevie sat up. The bed of the truck was covered with a cap which was higher at the tailgate. Ronny had laid a full-sized mattress in the bed and it took up eighty percent of the space. Henry was squeezed in between it and the side panel with his back against the wall that separated the cab and truck bed. He had his leg bent and when Stevie sat up he straightened them with a groan.

.

Her back hurt from sleeping against a tailgate. She would bet that the truck's logo was imprinted on her spine. "How long have I been asleep?" She asked with a yawn.

Henry blew air out between his teeth making a low soft whistle. "Under thirty."

Before she could ask, Henry passed the flashlight briefly over the two little bodies sleeping side by side on the mattress. She smiled at them. "Sometimes I think those two can sleep through a nuclear blast." Stevie moved closer to the smallest little girl. She pushed Davy's hair back from her sweaty face. She was wearing a flower print dress, at one time had been yellow. Now though, the color resembled tea stained cloth. The hem of it was ragged and the lace was missing on one of the scalloped collars. Davy looked like an old porcelain doll which had been played with hard and forgotten in a dirt cellar. But to Stevie she was beautiful. The other little girl, a nine-year-old, with chestnut hair, was Henry's.

Stevie thought of how much time had passed. Had it really been two years? She didn't want to think about that or what it meant. To forget about it she moved her thoughts to another sore subject. "How long until we get back? We've never had to travel this far before."

Henry shifted a rifle onto his lap. He held up his hand indicating five minutes. "We just passed the water tower." He ignored her other comment.

.

This part of the truck had low wattage lights under the windows. They glowed yellow like the bulbs on a Christmas tree. Each window had green and cream checkered burlap curtains which were tied back. They were driving away from the sunset. The last of the sun's rays filtered through the back window and lit up Henry in warm shades of gold. He appeared ageless except for a hint of grey in his beard. His tall slender build was attractive with his best feature being his eyes. Some days they looked like an aquamarine pool of water, now they were closer to the color of warm honey. His hair was brown and full of shaggy curls which fell loosely onto his forehead. When the light was right she could see a reddish tint to his hair. There were days like today when she longed to run her fingers through those soft waves. Davy rolled over and let out a soft sigh, distracting Stevie from any thought of giving into the temptation. She couldn't do it anyway even if she thought she might want to. Her heart died long ago and she was just living for her daughter. Living so Davy wasn't without both her parents.

.

Thinking about the past caused a tear to trickle down Stevie's face. She let it fall. Her frustration with life was once again directed at Henry. "You could have sat up front you know. You didn't need to sit back here with Maddie. She's fine with me. Why don't you trust me with her?"

Henry stayed quiet for a moment. When he answered, there was annoyance in his voice. "I trust you with Maddie. I never said I didn't! I'm sorry if my being a good father bothers you!"

She let the silence stretch on. The same arguments stood between them always. Henry wanted more than what she could give. And she wanted to move the group to an area that had more resources. She didn't like to admit that the move would give her a chance to continue to search for Daryl. All these supply runs, she risked her life and her daughter's life for a man that might not exist anymore.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The sun was a memory by the time they drove up to the gate at the warehouse. Henry's group found the place abandoned a few months before they brought Stevie here. The perimeter of the building was already gated; pre-apocalypse. A six-foot tall iron fence topped with an additional three feet of sharp looking barbed wire surrounded the property. For extra protection, they had used the wood from pallets to cover the openings between the bars.

Two young men dressed in dark clothing pulled the gate back for Ronny to drive through. Kyle and Kurt redheaded twins, covered in freckles. The twins were long and lanky boys in their early twenties. They towered over everyone in the camp, even having two inches on Henry who was six foot one.

Before the truck rolled to a complete stop Henry had the tailgate down and was jumping out the back. A heavy-set woman came rushing over. She muttered something in Spanish before following it up with a question. "Where are my girls? Thank the Lord you are safe."

Jose, Regina's husband had been working under the hood of a car when they returned and he followed the truck inside. He was wearing greyish looking jeans, a black t-shirt, with a mechanics shirt that had his name embroidered on the left side above a pocket. Over that he wore a canvas work coat. Stevie figured not much changed in Jose's life beside the dead were walking the earth. He met Henry at the tailgate. Henry handed a 9mm to him. "Didn't find any 9's but I got a box of shells." Jose nodded and took the gun and ammo.

.

Maddie had followed her dad and was the next out of the truck. Her long brown hair had wiggled loose from her ponytail and strands of it stuck to her face. "She hugged Regina around the waist. I'm hungry." she said on a yawn.

Regina reached out and took Davy from Stevie. She walked off towards the building. "Come let's get your bellies full. I saved dinner for all of you."

Stevie closed the tailgate and gave the truck a smack to let Ronny know it was alright to drive up to the loading dock. She didn't want to go inside just yet, she had something to say to Henry. He wasn't going to get a chance to walk away this time.

.

As soon as she approached Jose headed to the gate where the twins had made a makeshift guard post with wooden pallets and milk crates. They were held together with neon green zip ties that seemed to glow in the dark.

Henry didn't say a word. He stood with a rifle across his chest, barrel pointing towards the ground. He looked unmovable. She tried anyway. She had to get him to move on. "This area is clean. When are you going to face it?" Her voice was loud even for her own ears. "You know I can't leave Davy behind for runs"

Henry sighed. He was tired of this conversation. "Then stay here. Protect camp! Do laundry, cook, or whatever makes you feel like you are helping. Other people can go with me on runs."

She put her hands on her hips squaring her shoulders off to his. Other people wouldn't look for signs of her old group, she thought to herself. Instead of telling him that she spoke softly, "What if you don't make it back? What if you can't find enough gas for the truck, or…or…" Steve swallowed hard. Her mind wandered back to being left behind. "Are you going to leave that little girl on her own?"

Henry wanted to grab ahold of her and shake her or kiss her. He couldn't decide which would feel better. He wasn't going to leave Maddie, not until his dying day. He was doing the best he could to keep all of them safe. Why couldn't she see that? He lashed out. "She's not on her own! She has family. She has them… all of us. There isn't a person here that wouldn't raise her as their own, you included and you know it. You might not want the job as my wife, but I know as damn sure you'd be her mother if you had to!"

"You don't understand!" Stevie shot back. "People go away. What if…What if you disappear and I don't know what happened to you. Am I supposed to sit around and wait? Am I supposed to search for you forever so your daughter can know her father?" She sobbed through the sentences and Henry's heart broke. He knew her too well to know it wasn't him she was saying those words to. It was Daryl. Daryl had vanished. Daryl had gone for supplies and never returned. Daryl did that to her and yet she still hoped one day he'd come back.

XXX

Most of the loading dock doors were chained shut. Only four of them could be opened, one set in the front of the building and one set in the back. Stevie walked to the only one that didn't have a high platform. Ronny drove the truck up to the door as Ian and Lynn Lucas pulled the chains to open it. Stevie ducked into the building. Lynn, a dark haired, dark eyed beauty gave her a warm smile and a welcoming hug.

The building was a large open area in the center with five long wide corridors that wagon wheeled out from the main building. Three of those corridors were empty except for some stacked pallets and a couple of forklifts. The other two were rental storage units with orange painted metal garage doors staggered on either side of a hallway. Their people used those spaces as bedrooms. Over the last two years the main area had been furnished with couches, recliners, coffee tables, and bookshelves. There were two long tables set up for a dining area. Along the wall was a refrigerator, stove, and industrial sized metal sink.

Regina sat Davy in a highchair and put some small pieces of cooked carrots, beans, and potatoes on the tray. Stevie took her bowl and headed up to the office. It was a single wide office trailer, the kind you would see at a construction site. It was built up on a platform with the door to the right. The trailer had two rooms and a bathroom. The first room was large and had been used as a waiting area. The chairs were taken out and put in the common area but the receptionist desk had stayed. It was pushed over into a corner so Maddie could use it for her studies. There was a single bed against the wall. It was neat with the blankets tucked military style. Underneath it was a trundle bed for Maddie.

She barely looked at the room before ducking into the one she had as her own. There were two dressers against one wall and a double bed on the other with a small nightstand in the middle. The walls were bare and her dresser was nearly empty. Everything she owned was stuffed into a duffle bag under the corner of her bed. This place was home yet it really wasn't. She barely spent time in this trailer. Her life was lived out in the common area with the people she had grown to call family. She sat on the bed and let her tears come naturally. Henry would eventually realize they had to move on. She just hoped it didn't happen when it was too late.

.

A half an hour later Stevie plastered on a smile and joined the rest of the group. One of the tables was an outdoor picnic table. Stevie took a seat next to Lynn. Regina brought a bowl of food for her and Stevie nodded her thanks. Davy was in a highchair at the end of the table and she was playing with a piece of cooked carrot that had slipped onto the tray. Stevie picked it up and slid it into her daughter's mouth. "Is that good?" She smiled at Davy. "We have to thank Miss Lynn and Mr. Ian for these amazing vegetables." Davy giggled at the silly sing-song voice Stevie was making. "Seriously…" She turned to Lynn. "I don't know what we would do without you and Ian."

"Not me." Lynn smiled at her husband. "I'm only the hired help. He's the Botanist."

Ian joined them. He was tall and thin and clean shaven. His blonde hair was cut close to his scalp around his ears and nape but the top was left longer with wispy sideburns and bangs. His hair was messy on purpose. He looked like he just stepped out of a salon because Lynn was a hairstylist. She cut all their hair, including Davy's first haircut. Stevie kept a locket of it sandwiched between the pages of a book.

Ian pushed a round pair of glasses up onto his nose as he took a seat across from Stevie and Lynn. "The soil is great back there. I believe we will have a good stock for winter. That is if I can find out what's been eating the crop."

Lynn reached for his hand. "He's been staying up the last couple of nights, trying to trap whatever it is."

Behind the warehouse grounds was a plot of farm land. Ian had created a garden outside of the south gate. Stevie's first thought was a bunny and she didn't know if she wanted it trapped. She always had a soft spot for animals.

Ian added, "I think it might be deer. Could help stock the freezer for winter."

Soon after eating, Davy began to fuss and cry. "I better get her to bed." She said goodnight to everyone and locked eyes with Henry. "Send Maddie in when you go on watch."

Henry nodded. He and Jose were going to take the next shift at guard duty. One by one everyone spread out to their own personal spaces and Ian headed out back.

.

It was near midnight and Ian wanted to make sure his traps were still set. He headed out to the garden. Pointing his flashlight towards the ground he found the first one. It was tripped but nothing was caught in the snare. "Damnit…" He muttered to himself as he set his rifle on the ground. He didn't have time to react to the walker as it blindsided him and took him to the ground. He couldn't scream as it ripped into his juggler vein.

xxx

Stevie vaguely remembered hearing Henry leave but sleep was too enticing for her to get up and speak to him. She felt Maddie climb into the bed with her and Davy. Not long after, a loud Pop, pop, pop sound followed by an eerie silence jolted Stevie from a deep sleep. The muffled sound of gunfire echoed in her mind as she strained to hear. "Was I dreaming?" she asked herself quietly.

Davy was sleeping alongside of her. The sweaty little girl rolled onto her side and stuck her thumb into her mouth. Maddie mumbled something incoherent. "Had to be a dream." Stevie whispered. A split second later the popping sound again and this time she realized it was coming from an automatic weapon. Stevie smoothed back Davy's hair. She slid out of bed and pulled on a pair of jeans. She heard heavy footsteps running down the hall way. Henry's voice pinged off the metal walls. "

"Get up! Everyone, up now!" Henry pulled the door open on his side of the trailer. "Stevie, I need you out here pronto!"

Davy started crying. Stevie picked her up and headed out into the hall. Davy buried her tear stained face against Stevie's shoulder. Outside of the office Henry was waiting. Stevie could tell he wanted to run towards the shooting, but his concern for her and their children kept him rooted for the moment. As more people filled the area he barked orders at them. Briefly their eyes met and Stevie could see the fear in his. He said one word. "Omaha"

When they first were trying to figure out a code word in case of an emergency they joked about a popular football player's use of Omaha as his snap chant, however the word wasn't funny anymore, it sent confusion and fear through her.

Henry ran off toward the loading dock. Stevie wanted to follow him and see why he was so worried. Instead she called after him, "What's going on?"

His voice echoed, "Walkers breached the south gate, we gotta go." He reappeared briefly just to make her realize how desperate he was. "Leave everything, just come on!"

.

Their most important things were in a duffle bag and a backpack. Stevie flung the backpack over her shoulder and grabbed the shotgun Henry had insisted she keep by the bed.

Regina came to the door. "I'll take her." She reached for Davy. Maddie had gone into her room and grabbed the bag they had under their bed and when she returned she took the backpack from Stevie and put it on.

They slowly made their way across the catwalk and down the stairs into the common area. It was dark. Stevie gasped as someone ran past them and headed down through one of the hallways. She could hear screams and shotgun blasts coming from outside. "Stay close." She told Regina as she shined a flashlight ahead of them.

.

The cargo door was open and Henry was backing the truck up to it. Beyond the truck, Stevie could see people running and trying to shoot at an unseen threat. She knew it was walkers but she couldn't see how many or how close they were. Suddenly a walker squeezed in alongside of the truck. Regina shielded the girls. She prayed out loud, "Lord, help us, keeps these children safe."

Henry opened the door to the truck just as Stevie shot the walker. Instinct made him recoil as if he had been the one shot. He leaned out of the door again a moment later. "You trying to kill me? Get in, get in!"

Once Regina and the girls were safe in the cab, Stevie climbed into the front next to Henry. She lowered her window and fired the shotgun as Henry drove. When they were cleared from the loading dock Henry handed a pistol through to the cab for Regina. Nervously she asked. "Jose?" Henry didn't have an answer. The last time he had seen the man, he was running to the gate. The gate was open and Henry floored it, hitting walkers and fishtailing the truck on the loose gravel. Stevie settled into the seat knowing she wouldn't be able to get an accurate shot off with him driving like this. Groups of walkers were bent over bodies lying on the pavement, Stevie was certain they lost a few from their group. This truck belonged to Ronny and since he wasn't driving Stevie assumed the worst.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 **Two and a half years ago**

Daryl drew a circle in the air with his fist to get her attention. The place Daryl was gesturing to was a single-story structure standing alone on the deserted road. It was wood paneled on the exterior and had a low wooden porch. A row of motorcycles, seven in all, were parked in the stone parking lot. Daryl drove passed it and made a U-turn at the end of the road. He pulled into the lot and parked next to the last bike.

Stevie kept her eyes glued to the door. A few seconds ticked by. If anyone was inside they weren't curious enough to check out who was ridding up on them. With a nod of her chin Stevie wordlessly asked why they were stopping here.

He grunted as he climbed off the bike. "Better than any. Be quiet" he warned as he reached for his crossbow.

Stevie was already pulling the weapon over her head. The weight of it made her shoulder sore. Every bump he hit or pothole made the crossbow slam against her spine. She was certain that by the time they got back to camp there would be a bruise the shape of the handle across her back.

.

He headed to the porch and she followed whispering, "Being quiet is a novel idea if we hadn't just buzzed the place on that." She nudged her chin at the bike.

Daryl took the three cement steps to the porch at once. He walked to the single blacked out window and put his face against it. She knew he couldn't see anything inside and that made him cuss under his breath. She was just stepping on to the porch when he slammed his fist against the glass. The noise startled her making her gasp and retreat to the sidewalk. Her feet barely touched the steps on the way down.

.

"Pull your shit together." She told herself. She put her hands up, palms out, and fingers spread as if to push him back. With her left hand still in the air, she reached behind her with her right and pulled out a revolver from the waistband of her jeans. She no sooner had the gun eye level before Daryl put his fist against the glass once more. This time he punched through it and shards of glass exploded around his feet.

"Son of a Bitch!" He yelled as he jumped backwards to miss most of the pieces. Stevie ran to him and they collided on the steps. "You're running the wrong way. MOVE!" He shoved her down the steps and towards the bike. Once there he lifted his crossbow and waited. A few minutes passed and nothing happened. Satisfied they didn't call attention to walkers, Daryl grabbed her arm at the elbow and pulled her towards the porch.

Stevie thought they didn't wait long enough Her voice was above a whisper when she asked. "Are you positive no one is inside?"

"Ain't nobody ridin those bikes in a while."

Stevie looked at the bikes. This time she noticed the dust covering them. She nodded. Maybe someone already got to them.

.

A noise caught her attention making her turn towards him. Daryl shoved his weight against the door a few times only to be met with an unmovable force. Stevie waited for him to give up yet she knew that wasn't in his nature. "Daryl?" She called to him as she moved towards the broken window. He ignored her and slammed his shoulder against the door once more.

The way he was making noise put her at ease. Obviously, there wasn't a walker in there. "You are a stubborn ass!" she said, taking a step further away from him. Stevie climbed through the window and made her way through the darkened room towards the door. The stench never ceased to surprise her. Something was definitely dead in there. She covered her nose trying not to inhale until she could get back outside.

The door was locked from the inside. Someone had put a heavy bar across the middle. It reminded her of the type used in medieval times. This one didn't slide. The plank had to be lifted out of a pair of steel hooks. She pulled the door open and was met with his narrow-eyed stare. She knew better than to mock him. Still, she couldn't help smiling at the way he seemed pissed off that she got in and he hadn't. "Are you just going to stand there?" She asked. "Or maybe you'd like to throw yourself against this some more?" Stevie knocked on the wood panel, barely able to hide the giggle that was rising in her throat.

Daryl hadn't found the humor in her teasing. Instead he moved into the room, grumbling the entire time he stepped further into the shadows. She heard him growling cuss words. "fuckin…shit hole…pain in the ass" That only brought on more giggles. She did her best to keep it under control while she followed him into the room.

The light coming from the open door lit up the room enough that Stevie could see a man sitting against the wall. His head was slumped forward and she could make out a large hole in the back of his head. Blood spatter on the wall explained the way the bullet traveled through his head. Suddenly her mood darkened. "Self-inflicted?" she said more to herself than to Daryl.

.

Daryl nodded. "Yeah, asshole's still holding the gun. Prob'ly saved the last one for himself." Daryl made a gun with his fingers and pointed it at his mouth. He wiggled his thumb as if shooting himself.

Stevie noticed steams of blood trickling their way down his wrist. "You're bleeding!"

"It's nothing." He dropped his hand to his side.

Stevie moved in closer to him. Reaching behind him she grabbed his red rag from his back pocket. "Give it to me!" She waited for him to lift his hand again. Reluctantly he listened to her. She could see bits of glass sticking out of a couple of cuts on the outer edge of his palm. There wasn't a spot on his pinkie that wasn't covered in blood. "Were you just going to leave it like that?" Tenderly she held his hand.

"Christ! It's nothin." He pulled a larger shard from one of the wounds.

Stevie cringed. "We have to wash that off. I swear to god you want to die of an infection."

"You ain't sticking me in my ass this time!"

Stevie thought back to the tree house. A smile spread across her face as she remembered asking him to reach for the medical supplies so she could give him a dose of medication. Jamming that needle into his ass was more than satisfying.

.

Daryl pulled his hand away. "Don't be getting any ideas. You're already a pain in my ass."

Stevie smiled. "Aww baby, you certainly know how to sweet talk your lady. Calling me by my pet name twice today.

He watched as she clamped her hand over her mouth to suppress her laughter. He couldn't help but smile too. They had been through hell and back. At one point Daryl believe she would never be the same. He was happy she would be okay. They could risk one more night on their own.

.

Stevie swept a pile of dirt out onto the porch.

Daryl put a gas can onto the step. "Most of them were already drained." He said while stretching his back. "Shithead's bike had about a gallon."

She tucked the broom inside the doorway and waited for him to come inside. He couldn't believe the transformation. The place was dust free and all the can goods they found in the back were stacked neatly on one end of the bar. The blanket was spread out on the floor and she had turned a milk crate upside down and put the oil lamp on top of it. A couple of candles were burning on the bar filling the room with a soft glow.

Stevie smiled at him and asked, "Are you hungry?"

A rumble started in Daryl's chest and came out in a husk breath, "Yeah. But I don't want to eat." He bolted the door and undid the laces in his boots and with a quick kick they were off. Stevie started to unbutton her jeans but he stopped her. "Let me…" He met her in the center of the blanket. His hands found the hem of her t-shirt and his fingers dipped under it. He felt the sharp intake of breath she took when he touched the lower end of her ribcage. His hands shook and his body strained against the desire to throw her down onto the blanket. He tried to speak but the words wouldn't form in his mouth.

Stevie kissed along his neck, tasting the saltiness of his skin. She didn't know how their clothing melted away. Or how she ended up on her back with their limbs snaking around the other's. He entered her swiftly and with urgency brought them both to climax.

xxx

Stevie was lost in thought and didn't know why the truck was slowing down. That last night with Daryl had been shoved so far down in her thoughts that it surprised her when she remembered it. The events of the next day always overshadowed any joy she felt from that time. With a sigh, she forced herself back into the present day. A traffic jam of dirty abandoned cars blocked their way. It had been three weeks since they were forced out of their home by walkers. Jose was alive and well. He and Regina stuck close to one another. Kyle, Kurt, Alex, and Becky also made it out. The rest of the group eight in all never made it.

.

The men gathered together and talked about gas and parts for their vehicles and the women searched for any supplies they could use. It didn't take long for Stevie to realize nothing was left. She closed the trunk of the car she was searching and headed back to Ronny's truck. It was hers and Henry's now. She shook her head at Jose then walked along the side of the truck to look in on the girls. Maddie was reading a story to Davy.

Each day on the road got harder for them. Stevie thought back to the quarry with Daryl. Life had seemed difficult back then, in reality it was fairly easy. That was the first place she looked for Daryl when they had been separated. The only thing left was a note for Morgan. Nothing for her. Maybe he hadn't made it back. Maybe she had been chasing a ghost all this time.

.

Henry was standing at the back of the truck holding his rifle in one hand and looking through a pair of binoculars. Jose followed Stevie and they both came up next to Him. Stevie sighed. "The others are coming in. This place is clean."

Henry lowered the binoculars and looked at her. "There will be other places." He reassured.

Kyle stood behind them and when he spoke they all turned towards him. "Even if we move these cars I don't think we are getting past this mess."

Kurt finished the thought, "Can't tell what's on the other end of this. We've got to go back."

Stevie could see the frustration on Henry's face. "Damn it! There is nothing back there!" He punched the side of the truck and scared Davy. The little girl began to wail.

Stevie shot Henry a look of annoyance. "See what you did?" She hissed. She lowered the tailgate and climbed in with her daughter. "Shhh, It's okay. Mommy's here."

Jose spoke up. "I saw a place back there. A mile maybe. We should go. It's shelter. Maybe we'll find something."

.

A mailbox with the name Greene was the only thing that tipped anyone off that there was a house down the lane. Stevie spoke up. "What if the family is there and they don't want visitors?" She thought of the welcome her and Daryl got from Liddy and her boys. She didn't mention him, instead she said generally. "Some people don't have the best intentions."

Henry wasn't worried about people. He didn't think a farmer would be dangerous. To make her happy he said, "I'll go check it out."

"I'll go too." Jose offered. Regina looked terrified. He kissed her forehead. 'I'll be fine. You'll see."

Henry tied a dirty, t-shirt to the antenna of Jose's blue pinto. It was one of the only working cars they found at the quarry. At the time, Henry believed the car wouldn't last a week. Two years later it still rattled and clunked its way down the road. Henry shook his head and smiled at Jose as he patted the hood of the old car.

The white "flag" was unnecessary. The place was abandoned. Henry could tell why. Bodies littered the ground and a few walkers lingered. They roamed aimlessly through the fields until they heard the pinto.

"Head back." Henry told Jose.

Jose looked at Henry but didn't hesitate putting the Pinto in reverse.

Henry smiled. "We'll get the boys and take care of those walkers. This place is going to be good. I can feel it."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

An hour later Stevie rolled the truck to a stop in a clearing near the Greene's house. She took it all in imagining it as a beautiful old farmhouse which had been passed down through generations. She also could picture a family living here, having a picnic under that big oak tree, or sitting on the wrap around porch on fall afternoons, to catch the last bit of sun before the winter set in. The images fluttered in her mind's eye but quickly faded when she saw what was reality. Bodies littered the ground. The steps to the house caught dried leaves and debris. The paint was cracked and faded. The front door was open, the screen was ripped beyond repair and half off its hinges.

Jose and Henrywere standing on the porch and Kyle and Kurt were looking over the bodies on the ground. Not many of them were fresh kills. Something awful had happened here and Stevie wondered if the Greene's were among the dead. An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach as she scanned the surrounding area.

Regina slid the window open between her and Stevie. She asked if this place would be safe enough for all of them. The words fell on deaf ears. Stevie was lost in her own thoughts. The burned-out shell of an RV stood next to a charred patch of ground where a barn would have been. The RV was what caught her attention. A memory fluttered back to her.

"It ain't that bad!" Daryl eyed her with suspicion and anger.

"I have to stitch it!" Her voice was rising with his. "You'll get an infection!"

Bits of the scene flashed before her eyes. Dale running towards them with a needle and thread. Andrea remembering the nylon from the tent. The way Shane glared at her as if she was a burden to all of them. Dale, Lori, Andrea, and Carol had accepted her almost instantly. Rick hadn't given his approval until she and Daryl had saved Carl from slipping over a cliff at the quarry. She wasn't with the group long enough to win Shane over. And Daryl, Daryl took a while and some extreme heated argument until he had accepted her. That day he had eventually allowed her to get close enough to stitch his wound. And after some time, he had allowed her to get closer than that.

.

Warm tears brought her back to the present. She blinked them away and quickly swiped at the one that rolled down her cheek. "It's not Dale's." She muttered as she looked at the RV. "And he's not here."

"Who's not here?" Maddie asked from the window.

Stevie hadn't realized the girl was leaning her head through from the back of the truck. "No one, honey." Steve smiled and touched Maddie's cheek "I think your dad is coming to let you out." Stevie jutted her chin in the direction of the house as they both watched Henry walk down the stairs and cross the distance to the truck.

.

Henry lowered the gate and Maddie jumped into his arms. Stevie helped Regina out and took Davy from her. She kissed her daughter's rosy cheeks. "My sleepy girl. Are you hungry?" Davy slipped her thumb into her mouth as an answer.

Henry reached out and cupped Davy's head. "I think we're all hungry. Come on, let's go in. I have a surprise for you."

Stevie didn't like surprises anymore. Surprises meant things changed and change was never good for her.

xxx

Henry took Stevie down to the basement. There were jugs of water and gas cans lined up along one side of the main cellar. And crates of food on the opposite wall. Henry stood with his hands on his hips and a smile on his face. "There is enough here to last us a couple of weeks or more. There's wood in the stables and Jose said there's gas left in the generators. You know what that means don't you?"

Stevie put the jar of canned peaches she was holding back into the crate. She looked at him with doubt. "Shower?" She finally asked.

"Well not exactly." Henry picked up a crate of food to carry upstairs. "It will take too much to run everything. Heating up a water heater isn't practical. But," He added hopeful she would smile at the idea. "The stove works and there is a huge claw foot tub on the second floor. And I found this." He pulled a tube of bath salts from his back pocket. "Lavender vanilla, if you girls are careful y'all can enjoy these."

.

Later that night after all the windows on the first floor were boarded shut and a watch schedule was made, Stevie lit a hurricane style oil lamp in the master bedroom. Her hair was still wet from soaking in the bath. Henry was pulling a blanket up over Davy and Maddie. He laughed when he saw the knee length cotton night shirt Stevie had put on. "Now I know why you wanted to be last one for the tub. Didn't think I'd ever get you out of there."

"That was like heaven." She laughed quietly. "I really didn't want to get out." They both stood silent for a moment of awkwardness as they realized for the first time they were standing in a bedroom, a real bedroom in someone's home.

Henry cleared his throat while finishing up the buttons on the flannel shirt he found in the closet. "I've got first watch with Jose." He pulled Stevie close to him and gave her a kiss on the forehead. He felt the usual way her body stiffened up every time he tried anything physical. She hugged him around the waist and allowed him to kiss her like this, but she was always the one to pull away first. Henry had believed one day she would forget Daryl and realize how much he loved her. As time had gone on she never had. Frustration and anger made him push her to arm's length quickly. "I've got to go"

.

Stevie stayed awake long after Henry stomped out of the room. She knew what Henry wanted and sometimes she thought she did too. Yet she couldn't get Daryl out of her heart. The RV was just a reminder of what she once had and what she lost. She tossed and turned for hours and when she finally slept she was plagued with dreams.

 **Clubhouse**

Not long after she had fallen asleep a loud pounding on the door startled Stevie awake. She stretched her sore muscles while a smile spread across her face, Daryl was back. The room was still dark, however slivers of light shone through the cracks in the boarded up window. "Hold on." She called out. She reached across to her left where an old milk create with an oil lamp on top of it. She used a wooden match to light it. The room filled with a warm glow as the flame danced under the glass globe.

Unlocking and opening the door she said, "Back already" but it wasn't Daryl on the other side.

A man in his mid to late forties pointed a gun at her face. His hair was greasy and dirt smeared over most of his whiskered jaw. There was a large gash caked with dried blood on the left side his forehead. His eyes trailed down Stevie's body. "Well now" he drew out the words. "What'd we have here?"

Fear gripped Stevie making her step backwards into the room. The way he looked at her made her wish she wasn't wearing only a t-shirt and panties. It was stupid not to get dressed when Daryl left this morning. Silently she hoped he would return now.

The man took a step closer. Instinctively Stevie took another step back. "What do you want?" Her voice sounded high pitched and breathless, but she could barely hear it over the sound of her own heartbeat thudding in her ears. Her eyes dropped to the crate and the gun resting on it.

He saw what she was looking at. "That wouldn't be smart. Why you think that is?" He wiggled the pistol, keeping it pointed at her. He kept stepping closer to her until she felt the edge of the bar against her back. He held the gun leveled at her face but used his free hand to unsnap his pants. Stevie felt a shiver run down her spine.

"Come on now, did you hear me? I asked you a question. Cat got your tongue? That's alright, you don't need to talk. I have other plans for that pretty little mouth of yours."

.

A lot of things smelled in this world and at times she was sure she was one of them. Yet this man smelled worse, like sweat, stale tobacco, and piss. Bile rose to the back of her throat when he pressed his body against hers and tried to kiss her. She struggled to push him away but his strength was too much for her. With nothing left to defend herself she dug her nails into his eye socket as hard as she could.

He screamed "You fucking bitch!" Yet it didn't make him release her. He tangled his hand into her hair at the back of her head and slammed her face first into the top of the bar. Pain rocketed through her and gave her an instant headache. Blood streamed down her forehead and blurred her vision. She felt the room spin and worried about what would happen if she lost consciousness. Part of her wished she would because she knew awake or not this man was going to do what he wanted.

He had let go of her hair and instead grabbed a fist full of her t-shirt. With the hand he held the gun he snacked her across her cheek. She felt the butt of the gun connect with her jaw. Blood collected in her mouth and she struggled not to choke on it. Stevie kicked at him and tried to knee him in the groin but the blows she took made her aim off and her attempts to do damage weak. He shoved her back towards the bedding. The crate was kicked and the oil lamp shattered on the floor catching the blankets on fire. Smoke filled the room and the dry wood helped the fire spread. Stevie was already feeling like she could black out at any second and the smoke wasn't helping her stay conscious. Desperate to get away from him she sunk her teeth into the man's arm.

"You'll fucking pay!" He screamed. He still held onto her as he brought the gun up to her head.

.

She sat up in bed at the Greene farm, with her heart thudding in her chest. The memory of a gun going off woke her. His threats were the last thing she remembered until she woke up with Henry and his group at the warehouse. It was Henry's gun she heard. Two days had gone by before she was well enough to realize Henry wasn't a threat and his people were not like that one member of their group. They fed her and took care of her. They even offered a place for Daryl if he wanted it. Stevie found it all too good to be true and refused. Henry took her back to the biker bar it was nothing but charred ground. They searched for Daryl and waited a week for him to return. When he hadn't she reluctantly stayed with Henry.

Thinking about the burned down bar made her think of the RV. Stevie climbed off the bed, careful not to wake the girls. She stood at the window and stared out. Tomorrow they were going to move the bodies away from the house. She had to get to that RV before anyone else did. And she had to do it alone.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The sense that she wasn't alone in the room woke Stevie up. Her heart raced in her chest as her hand reached for her gun. Sunlight filtered in through the curtains and Stevie could see the shadowed form of Becky standing in front of one of the three large windows. Stevie rolled onto her back and let out a sigh of relief.

Becky turned towards the bed and her face disappeared in the shadows. Her brown hair seemed to glow amber with the light behind her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I knocked and you didn't answer."

Stevie hadn't slept this well since… she thought about the last time she had. After a few seconds she remembered being in Liddy's storm shelter. That night she had felt more secure that she ever had. Chills skirted across her skin and she sat up on the bed. Liddy and her sons had been a nightmare.

With a groan, she swung her feet over the edge of the bed. Her muscles ached and she had a huge bruise on her right ribcage. Her body felt old and Stevie could no longer remember where the bruise came from.

Too much sunlight flooded the room and Stevie knew it wasn't early morning. Her next question was useless, but she asked it anyway. "What time is it?"

"Breakfast was a couple of hours ago." Becky broke off another piece of biscuit and slipped it into Davy's mouth. "I can't believe I made these this morning. I didn't think I'd ever see flour again in my whole life."

Stevie eyed the tray on the long dresser. "How did you make those?" She asked stunned by the fluffy mounds of biscuits.

Becky was quiet for a long while, then she spoke softly as if afraid to talk about the past. "My momma taught me how. We didn't have much and she had six mouths to feed. Daddy was away most of the time. I can't tell ya how often we had eggless biscuits when I was growing up." She laughed and Davy made a gurgling sound as she laughed too. "I used to hate these. But today I can't get enough. There's plenty and coffee."

Stevie slipped her boots on and buttoned up a girl's flannel shirt. It was cream colored and the plaid was mint green, burgundy, and yellow. The colors were faded on purpose, but the shirt was well worn and soft. It must have been a favorite of the young woman that used to lived here. Stevie kissed Davy's head. She told Becky thanks for the coffee and left the room. "Don't you want to eat?" She heard Becky call after her.

 **xxx**

She caught the tail end of the work and apologized for sleeping in. No one seemed to mind and happily accepted her help. Most of the bodies on the ground had been picked clean beyond recognition however, Stevie took comfort in the fact that it was obvious none of them were Daryl. She would have found his bike or his crossbow if he was here. It didn't mean he was alive and it didn't prove he was dead either. Kyle and Kurt said they found graves on the property and Stevie added it to the list of things she had to check out.

They worked until late in the afternoon. Stevie was surprised to find she hadn't thought about Daryl or the RV in a few hours, but now that she was sitting on the tail gate of the truck, she was forced to look at it. Her mind had wandered and she didn't realize Henry was there until he stood directly in front of her, blocking the view of the RV.

"I know you're probably tired, but I have to talk to you about Virginia."

"No…" Stevie jumped to her feet. "No you don't have to talk to me about Virginia. We're safe here. This place is perfect."

"Yeah, for a couple of weeks. I thought you'd be happy. I finally believe you, we can't stay in one spot anymore! We're out in the middle of bum fuck nowhere. What are we going to do once those supplies are gone?"

Stevie's mouth hung open but no words would come out. He was right. The truth was she didn't want to run anymore. She was tired of running and searching. For what? Proof that Daryl lived without her? She hadn't realized she was backing away from Henry until she turned and ran from him. Tears welled in her eyes and she didn't want him to see them or ask her why. She looked at the RV and instead of going to it she ran from it too.

"Stevie!" Henry called out. She kept running until she saw the graves. She read the name on the first cross…Otis. The second cross stopped her in her tracks. Carved into the wood in rough looking letters was the name Sophia. Stevie fell to her knees and put her hand to the pile of rocks. Tears streamed down her face as words choked in her throat. Sophia had died here. Had Carol? Had those bodies really been her old group and she didn't know it?

Loud footsteps came running up behind her. She didn't pull her eyes from the grave to see who it was she already knew it was Henry. His voice confirmed it. "Stevie!" He hooked his hands under her arms and hauled her to her feet. He checked her over quickly for a wound. "What's wrong? Dizzy? You got to eat I keep telling you to eat."

"I'm okay." She took a rag from her back pocket and wiped her face.

Henry finally looked at her directly. He whispered softly, soothingly, "I'm sorry. You know I forget my big mouth sometimes…" He pushed her hair back from her face and brushed away a tear as it streaked down her cheek. Stevie shook her head and glanced at the graves. Confused, he read the names on the crosses. "Who are they? Did you know them?"

"Her…" Stevie's voice broke and she strained to finish her sentence. "She…was…a little girl."

Henry pulled her close. No matter how much he was angry he couldn't remain that way for long. The disappointment lingered however and he felt tears begin to well in his own eyes. In too many ways Stevie reminded him of Alease. She was stubborn, a great mother, and loved with her whole heart. He wished she wasn't anything like his wife, then he could tell himself without a doubt he loved Stevie only because of who she was.

.

He guided her back to the house and had her take Davy up for a nap. "Go on. It is alright. We got this."

"But you hardly slept." She argued.

"I slept enough. Besides we are just going to pack up the truck with the supplies. We'll be done in fifteen minutes tops. I'll be up soon. I need to finish our discussion."

"Do it now, everyone's here. Let's get this out in the open." Stevie hadn't wanted to talk about moving further north but now after seeing Sophia's grave she felt maybe this was the end of her search. As much as giving up Daryl hurt she had to make sure her beautiful daughter didn't end up in the cold ground and forgotten.

xxx

 **Alexandria**

Daryl stepped out of the garage at Eric and Arron's place. He inhaled a big deep breath through his nose. He smelled gas fumes coming from his own clothing and it mingled with a scent of pine trees and clean air. He didn't think he would get used to the smell of fresh air again, not like he had gotten used to the smell of death and decay. It made him uneasy.

The couple offered him a wave and Aaron said, "see you tomorrow" as Daryl headed off towards his place. He found himself drifting deeper into his own thoughts lately. The reason was Stevie. He shook his head at the thought of her. How many times had she been on his mind today? "Too many." He answered himself. He blamed Beth.

"Fuckin stupid!" he said out loud. Beth and Stevie didn't have anything in common, besides their blonde hair and that damn doe eyed way of looking at the world. He thought about the differences. Beth was sweet and caring. "Too damn caring of other people if ya ask me." He stopped in the middle of the street and looked around to make sure no one was listening to him talking to himself. He didn't see anyone and that made it easier for him to continue his comparison. Stevie cared about people too, a voice echoed in his head. "Yeah but she could stand her ground when she wanted to fight with me." Beth lacked Stevie's stubborn boldness. And Daryl was sure that fact was the reason they were stuck in this quiet friendship which was more than what either of them wanted to admit.

He sighed heavily as he reached his place. He wasn't ready for more company and slipped into the shadows between the two houses. He pulled a cigarette out from behind his ear and examined it before putting it in his mouth. He had quit smoking back when it was just him and Merle, before walkers and the worst shit to happen was Merle getting busted or he would run out of drugs. He hadn't quit because he was worried about his health. He had because Merle couldn't seem to buy his own smokes. Supporting both their habits was making him broke. Now he was lucky if he found a pack once every three months or so. He learned to make them last by putting them out halfway.

The sound of a tin can skidding across the concrete, came from the back of the house. Daryl had his crossbow leveled as Beth stepped out of the shadows. "Jesus Chri- "he censored himself. "What are you doing back there?"

"Sorry, Daryl. I was putting out the trash. I guess I was daydreaming."

"Don't get comfortable, stay alert. This ain't fucking Disney Land!" He huffed at her. He stuttered stepped towards her in frustration, then turned around and flung his crossbow over his shoulder. "I got watch in the fucking morning. Get inside and go to bed!"

Yes sir!" She saluted him with a smile. She nudged her chin at the cigarette. "I thought you quit."

He didn't answer her. Instead he angrily smoked the entire cigarette. She left him alone and he headed up to his bed. It was more comfortable than any bed he ever slept on yet he lay there in the dark for hours. The two women haunted his thoughts until sleep finally plagued him with dreams of Stevie.

 **xxx**

Daryl sat up in bed startled awake by his dream. It was once o'clock and he was in bed in Alexandria yet his mind was still lingering back more than two years ago. His own words haunted him "You won't even miss me." The smell of smoke seemed so real to him it choked him. How could he forget that day? How could he ever move on from it? The Fire, it was his fault, he was responsible…

 **Biker Clubhouse**

Daryl looked up at the sky to try and figure out how long he'd been out hunting. The trees were high and thick but he figured it was well past noon. He managed to net only two squirrels on this trip. Frustrated, he headed back to the clubhouse.

He smelled the smoke before he saw it, and when he had, he had already run a quarter mile. As it got thicker and rose higher in the sky, his heart pounded in his chest. He asked himself a dozen times if he had put out the oil lamp. What if she was trapped inside?

He ran until his lungs burned and his muscles threatened to give out. Finally, he broke through the clearing only to see the roof collapse on the engulfed building. "No!" He screamed. "Stevie?" He yelled for her again and again until walkers started to stagger through the tree line. Daryl set his bow but there were too many walkers. "Stevie!" he screamed as he ran for his bike. "Why? He yelled as the bike roared to life. "Why the fuck NOW!"

Daryl waited two days watching the smoke fade to white then disappear altogether. Most of the walkers were gone and those that remained lay in scattered heaps where he took them down. Exhausted and bloodied, he picked through the ash until he found what was left of her, a few charred bones and her skull. With tears streaming down his face he placed her remains in a shallow grave behind where the building had stood. Silently he vowed to never let anyone into his heart again. His Last words to her echoed in his head and he was right, she wouldn't miss him. But, he would miss her for the rest of his miserable existence.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

 **Greene Farm**

Ashley pulled a baseball cap onto her head and threaded her long blonde ponytail through the cutout in the back of the cap. Everyone had split up after the group had spent hours going over the plans. They voted on and decided to divide the supplies in half. They would stock the truck with one portion and live off the other. If they ran out of the first half before they could find a way to make it work on the farm, they would head north to where Henry had been born. Ashely was raised in Connecticut so Virginia didn't seem north to her. She thought of her adoptive parents and half wondered if they had survived. She knew even if they had they wouldn't be looking for her. With her blonde hair and blue eyes and being tall and athletically built, she never quite fit in her family. But that wasn't the only reason everyone knew she was adopted. Her mother's resentment towards her and her father's indifference eventually led to a fallout between them. Ashely's final act of rebellion was searching for her birthparents and moving to Atlanta to find them. But the world fell apart before she could even try. She never felt like she had a family until she met Kurt and this group. She didn't want to leave the farm but she would if they were going to be with her.

Becky was waiting on the porch when Ashley came outside. The night air felt good on her face. Kyle and Kurt were on watch duty. They had the truck and Pinto parked at opposite ends of the farm several yards from the house. Ashley could see their shadowy figures. Ashley smiled at Becky and asked, "Want to walk down and see if they need anything?"

.

Stevie sat on the edge of the bed looking at a framed photo on the bedside table. A man with white hair was crouched down next to a newborn calf. All through the house there were photos like this one of the people who lived here before. She wished she knew their names besides the name Greene.

Henry came into the room. He was towel drying his hair. She looked up at him and smiled. For the moment, they had a plan and Stevie figured she would make the most of it by enjoying the comforts of the house instead of worrying about the future. He returned her smile and said, "You're in a good mood."

Her smile faded. "Content…" She put the picture back on the table and gently swung her legs up onto the bed. Maddie stirred a little but Davy was sound asleep. She was quiet for a minute while she looked at the picture again. Without looking at Henry she asked, "Would it be rude if I snooped through the house a little? I mean to find out more about the people who lived here."

Henry was about to ask her why she cared when a shot rang out and made him duck. The shot woke both kids and the room erupted in sobbing children. Stevie picked up Davy and hugged Maddie. They followed Henry down stairs. Regina and Jose were already there. Before anyone could get outside to see what was going on, the front door swung open. Kurt and Kyle carried an unconscious Ashley into the room. Becky followed them in. The look of fear on her face gave Stevie a chill.

"We only wanted to get some fresh air!" Becky's voice was high pitched and full of worry.

"Is she bit?" Henry asked while looking at the blood that oozed through Ashley's shirt on her right side below her rib cage. There was a larger bloodstain on her back above her hip and seeping down her pant leg. "What the hell happened?" Henry barked at all of them.

Kurt's face looked ashen and sweat beads formed above his lip. At first Stevie thought his reaction was only caused by seeing Ashley, instead it was clear something else was going on. Suddenly the young man sank to the floor in a squatted position. He pressed his head between his knees.

"Are you going to be sick?" Stevie asked him.

Kurt shook his head. His voice was low when he answered. "I didn't mean it. It was an accident."

"What was an accident?" Stevie asked.

Kyle spoke up. "It was dark. Kurt saw…We saw something. We couldn't see clear… We thought they were walkers."

Henry suddenly understood. "She's shot?" He pulled up Ashley's shirt. A single gunshot wound entered her abdomen and exited out the back of her waist. When he looked up he made eye contact with Stevie. "Those shots are going to pull every walker in the area down on us."

Jose had moved to the door the instant the kids came inside and now he was shaking his head and muttering under his breath. Finally, he said, "If we want to get out of here alive. We need to now!"

xxx

They spent two weeks hiding in an abandoned Mobil home far from any other house or town. Ashely seemed to be improving. She was very lucky. The only thing Stevie worried about was the lack of antibiotics. While changing the dressing over the wound on Ashley's abdomen Stevie took a close look at the redness surrounding the area. "How's the drainage?"

"Gross" Ashley pinched her eyes closed to keep from looking at the injury.

"You have to wash it, Ashley. You can't just ignore it. Besides you've seen so many other things that are worse than this."

"I know." Ashley opened her eyes to look at Stevie. "I don't mind that stuff." She bit her lip to keep from crying. "That stuff it…it isn't on me…you know?" Ashley took the bottle of water and the ibuprofen Stevie handed her. After swallowing the pills, she added. "I have been cleaning it. Well… Kurt has. He feels really guilty." She smiled. "He's been helping me out."

"Don't take advantage. There are things you can do for yourself. I know it hurts, but you need to be up and moving as soon as possible.

Ashley looked down at the blanket Stevie had pulled up over her. "Can't we stay here?"

When Stevie had first met Ashley, she thought the young girl was much older than she really was. Now that she was injured she seemed younger than nineteen. "We can't. It isn't secure for the long run. And besides I trust Henry. If he says there is something better up north, then we need to believe him."

.

Stevie left Ashley's room and stood outside in the hallway. She had her own reservations about leaving this area. The unknown paralyzed her with fear. And so much of her heart refused to give up on Daryl.

Stevie swiped a tear from her cheek as soon as she heard someone coming. Henry was carrying Davy. "She fell asleep."

Stevie touched her daughter's head. "I'll take her."

Henry shook his head. "I got her. I'm going to rest up for my watch. If you don't mind, I'll just lay her down on the blankets next to the bed." He kissed Davy on the top of the head. "I love her like my own. You know I do."

"I feel the same about Maddie." Stevie rubbed Davy's back and she stirred a little bit. She sighed and settled back against Henry's shoulder.

Henry's voice constricted. "I love all of you. I'd do anything to keep them, you…my family safe!"

The tears Stevie was trying to hide spilled over. She touched his cheek. "Thank you."

.

They left the trailer after a day or two. A couple of weeks had passed maybe three, Stevie wasn't sure exactly how many. As they got closer to Virginia Ashley's condition worsened. They needed a place. The house they found was already boarded up but by the amount of dust on everything it was obvious it hadn't been used in a long time. They put Ashley in a bed on the second floor. Her fever spiked and she became delirious.

Stevie waited for Henry outside of the room. "She needs antibiotics."

"You'd recognize them if you saw them?"

Stevie nodded. "If we can find any. It has to be soon. It might even be too late."

An hour later they were on the road. Henry told her of a town west of the residential area they moved into. Stevie wondered about his life prior to the one she knew. She asked herself if he would take his wife here or maybe they had lived there. She wondered about the twinge of jealousy she felt. Could she be falling for Henry? Quickly she reminded herself about the promise she made when Davy was born. She swore she wouldn't get involved with anyone else and she would wait for Daryl at all costs. Her mood grew darker as they drove further away from Davy.

xxx

Kyle stood in the doorway of the bedroom. Ashley looked as pale as the sheets she was lying on. He watched Becky as she sat in the chair next to the bed. She was about to fall over from exhaustion. His attempts to get her to go sleep had failed. She felt responsible for what happened. It was an accident and no blame was going to help.

Kyle moved his attention to his twin. Kurt had also taken up residence in a chair on the other side of the bed. Kyle watched the muscles of Kurt's jaw flex. His brother was grinding his teeth. "Look" He finally said. "Both of you need to get out of here for a little bit. You haven't slept in days. I can't keep doing all our shifts. Like it or not I'm ordering you to go. Both of you."

Becky stood up. Heavy tears rolled down her cheeks. "I can't go. What if she…" Becky gasped and choked on the word "dies"

Kyle refused to let her say it. Instead he interrupted, "If she wakes up? You will be the first person I get. And you." He looked at his brother. Kurt opened his mouth to argue, but Kyle wouldn't let him. "You're barely standing. She needs you to be your best. I'm not asking brother, I'm telling. Go, you got three hours until I have to relieve Jose."

Reluctantly they both left the room. Kyle settled down into the chair that his brother had been in. He hated to see Becky cry and deep down he wanted nothing more than to tell her she could stay. However, his brother wouldn't have gone if he had let Becky stay. He knew Kurt wouldn't stay away for the full three hours, he just hoped Becky would.

The longer he sat there the more guilt he felt for making Kurt leave. Ashley's breathing was labored and her skin radiated heat like a fire. He dipped a rag into a basin of water and place it against her forehead. If Becky was the one in this bed Kurt would have to drag him away from her. There wasn't much else he could do for Ashley. A book sat on the nightstand and he grabbed it while settling back in the chair. He shook his head when he realized it was War and Peace. "I guess I got time to kill"

.

Kyle didn't know how long he was asleep or how long Ashley was standing up next to him. Her back was turned to him. He reached a hand out to her. "Ashley, you need to get back in bed." He was barely on his feet. Ashley turned and lunged at him. Kurt fell backwards into the chair and it slammed against the nightstand as Ashley fell on top of him. Before he even realized she wasn't herself anymore she was ripping flesh from his neck.

A loud bang against the wall between her room and Ashley's got Becky out of bed. She ran to the room thinking her friend might have fallen. Instead she found Ashley hoovering over Kyle. "No!" She screamed. She tried to pull Ashley away but the girl overpowered her. Becky shoved Ashley back against the bed and broke free. She stumbled into the hall. Blood squirted from her arm where Ashley bit her. Loud footsteps were coming from the stairwell and Becky yelled to Jose, "Get out of here! She's turned." Ashley came at Becky again and she struggled against Ashley's strength. Frantically she screamed, "Kyle…She's killed Kyle! GET OUT!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

It was dark when Henry and Stevie came back empty handed. Pulling up to the house the first thing she noticed was the Pinto was gone. "Something's wrong. "she said as she jumped from the truck before it came to a complete stop.

Henry was worried too and yelled to her, "Stevie wait!"

The house was quiet and dark. Stevie clicked on the flashlight she had in her pocket and scanned the downstairs. Henry was right behind her and had his gun out. They started up the stairs and in the hallway, they heard Kurt's voice. "Go away." He said flatly.

Stevie scanned the flashlight down the hall and landed on a body lying crumpled a few feet ahead of them. I was Becky. She was facing them, her eyes open and vacant. There was blood on her dress and a single gunshot wound in the center of her forehead. Ashley was on the ground next to her with the end of a knife protruding from her eye socket.

"What happened?" Henry asked.

Stevie interrupted "Where is my baby! "

Henry made it to Ashley's room first and found Kurt sitting next to his brother's body. Kurt pointed the gun at Henry. His voice was cold when he spoke, "Get the fuck out."

Henry could see the way Kyle was beginning to animate. "Okay…" Henry held his hands up. We'll go just tell us where the others are." Stevie pushed against Henry desperately she tried to get into the room. Kyle cocked the hammer of the gun. Henry shoved Stevie through the door and down the hallway as a bullet ripped into the wall behind where Henry had been standing. Once outside they heard two shots. Henry looked up to the second story of the house. Kurt must have put his brother down and then killed himself.

Stevie was holding onto Henry's shirt with both hands balled into fists. She was trying to speak but fear twisted her mouth in pain and strangled her voice. He gripped her by the forearms and dragged her towards the truck. "They're not there! They got away." He pulled her against his chest and buried his face in her hair. "The car is gone…we'll find them. I swear…we will."

.

 **Earlier that evening**

Regina held Davy on her lap while Jose drove and Maddie sat in the back. The girl had gone quiet since they fled the house. Nervously Regina looked at Jose. To a stranger, he looked calm as he carefully made his way towards the town, but Regina knew him too well. She watched as his eyes narrowed and his grip on the steering wheel tightened. "What is it?" She asked in Spanish so Maddie wouldn't understand. Jose didn't speak. instead his eyes darted to the dashboard and Regina saw the tank was near empty.

The town came into view and Regina read the name of the street, Main Street. Every town had a Main Street and normally this is where you wanted to be for the things you needed. However, the way life was now, everyone checked Main Street first. She was about to tell Jose to turn onto one of the side roads when the engine began knocking and the car sputtered to a stop. Jose tried restarting it, but there was no use, they were out of gas. A wave of fear washed over her making her check to see if her door was locked. "Maddie…"

At the sound of her name Maddie knelt on the seat and looked out the back window. "Why did we stop? We've got to find my Dad. He's out here, I know he is."

Regina prayed that Maddie was right. "Come up here child." She made a grabbing gesture with her hands like she was reaching for the girl. Maddie climbed over the center console and sat on the edge of Regina's seat. Regina pulled her close to her and wrapped an arm around her like a mother hen protecting her chick. "Si. He'll be back." she whispered reassuringly.

Jose nervously looked out each window before deciding it was safe enough to get out of the car. "Don't get out. I'll go to that one down there." He pointed to a car they had passed. "And the two over there."

"No, not those…those are too far!" Regina protested. "Let me help you?"

Jose gave Regina a quick kiss on the cheek and he patted both of the girls on the head. "Don't worry, Pichancita."

He exited the car silently. Regina watched him jog down the road towards the car. He held a gas can and hose in his left hand and a nine mil in his right. Jose was good with a gun. He wasn't always but Henry had taught him well. Regina muttered, "Blessed Mary mother of God please protect my Jose."

Minutes ticked by as Jose worked on the car. He shook his head because he only got a couple of ounces of gas from it. Regina was the first to spot the walkers as they rounded the side of a house a few feet from where Jose was bent over the gas can. She bolted from the car and started running. "Jose! Jose!" He fired two shots and then was swallowed up in the mass of walkers.

Xxx

Fort five minutes into their trip Daryl and Aaron came to a popup town centered around a cement plant. They were familiar with it and planned to blow right through it. It had already been searched thoroughly, but the sight of a car loaded up with supplies, caught Daryl's attention. Twenty-five feet ahead of the abandoned car was a group of walkers huddled over a body. A couple of the walkers seemed to debate whether to leave their meal for the sound of the bike. He pulled in behind the car and cut the engine. Aaron parked behind him.

Daryl held two fingers up in front of his eyes and made a look gesture towards the car. He yanked the crossbow off the bike. The movement caught the attention of the already curious walkers. One swayed as it got to its feet and the other rose quickly. Daryl moved out into the street. "Haus ain't been dead long, he's quick." Daryl fired his bow, the arrow sliced through the walker's head. A woman scream came from behind the houses. He ducked involuntarily when he heard the scream. And Aaron nearly jumped a foot off the ground. Most of the dead headed towards the scream.

Daryl reloaded the crossbow and pointed to the right for Aaron to get the female walker staggering towards them. His knife easily sunk into her skull. Daryl fired again taking down another male. They handled three more, but behind those, others were being pulled in from the screams.

Daryl motioned for Aaron to get back to the car. A scream came again and this time Daryl got a better lead on the direction. There was a gap between houses where maybe at one time a house had sat on the lot. Now it was just tall grass. He could tell someone had run through it recently. Something pink on the gravel caught his attention, a single toddler sized shoe lay forgotten on the ground. It wasn't dirty or covered with debris. He thought of Judith and what it meant if she had no one to make sure she was safe. Instantly he decided he had to go help. The woman screamed again and Daryl started running through the grass.

"Daryl?" Aaron called to him.

"Take the bridge to the cement mill and head down the service road. I'll come out on the other side!" He disappeared before he could finish the sentence.

.

Arron threw the car into reverse and spun the wheel sharp making the car spin a hundred eighty degrees. He gunned the engine while putting it into gear. His tires skidded and the car fishtailed on the loose gravel. Roughly fifty feet or more, at the end of town, was Shaffer Lane. He hung a right onto it and roared towards a single lane bridge which led to the back end of Shaffer Cement Company. He hoped Daryl would be there by the time he drove down the unpaved road.

.

At the end of the lot and behind the row of houses there was a shallow line of trees. Daryl tossed a look back over his shoulder. The walkers had followed him into the lot. He zigzagged around the trees until he broke through into a wide strip of dusty land on the edge of the cement mill property. Daryl saw her immediately. She was a woman in her fifties at best and she was struggling to run with a toddler and a little girl. Walkers trailed behind her as she hurried the older girl along. The toddler wailed. The crying caught the attention of a larger group of dead that were roaming the grounds of the mill. Other walkers came through the trees ahead of them and from behind. The avenues of escape narrowed by the second.

She stopped running long enough to put the little girl down on the ground. For a second Daryl thought she was going to leave the children behind. She didn't though. She pulled the older child behind her and he watched as that girl covered the baby's ears. Puzzled he ran towards them only to realize in horror that the woman pulled a gun from her shirt. It was a small handgun the kind that would fit neatly into a purse and apparently in the cleavage of an old woman. He screamed "Don't!" but she pulled the trigger anyway. She missed the walker and he saw the dirt spray in the air a few feet behind it. The older child looked at Daryl. Frantically he screamed, "Run, this way!" The woman kept firing the gun but didn't hit anything she aimed at. He reached her just as she emptied the chamber. "What the fu…run…run to that car!"

.

Aaron was driving on the service road. Dust created a thick cloud behind him. He hoped there wasn't a sea of walkers filing onto the road behind him. He could see Daryl up above him on an embankment with a runoff gully below it. He was plunging his knife into a walker and kicking at another. A woman ran towards the car with two children. It suddenly made sense to him why Daryl risked his life like this. The car skidded to a halt and Aaron scrambled out of it. He took aim and fired.

Aaron cleared enough of a path for them to get ahead of the group. Daryl's lungs burned from running. The woman was struggling. She had stopped running and was bent over to catch her breath. She spoke in breathless pants. "I…can't…go…save them."

He scooped up the smallest child and shoved the older one, almost knocking her to the ground. He grabbed a fist full of the back of her shirt to keep her on her feet. He yelled over his shoulder "Don't fucking quit!"

At the top of the embankment he stopped when he heard the woman scream once more. This time it wasn't panic that caused her screams, she had been bit. Walkers surrounded her and for a brief moment he lost sight of her and then he saw the agony on her face as they pulled her to the ground. Daryl shielded the girls. "Don't look!" he demanded.

Aaron felt the air being sucked from his lungs. He could feel bile rising to the back of his throat. The older woman threw herself to the walkers. She sacrificed herself to give Daryl and the children a chance to get away yet it still seemed horribly wrong. He had to force himself to look away and when he did he saw the older child scooting down the bank on her backside. Daryl was yelling something to her when the ground gave way and he and the toddler fell.

They hadn't had rain in weeks and the runoff creek was dry. Daryl felt his ankle pop the second it jammed against one of the rocks. The child's face was turning bright red and then purple. He worried she was dying until she took a deep breath and wailed.

Maddie was on her feet and running but she stopped and look behind her when Davy cried. The other man was frantically calling for her to come to the car. When he saw his friend fall, he yelled his name. She didn't have time to say anything before the man at the car was lifting her up and putting her in the backseat. Maddie tried to fight him but he closed the door and ran off to help. Maddie sat stunned as she waited for them to bring Davy to the car. The man said the name Daryl. She heard Stevie talking about Daryl and Maddie hated him. She sat silently vowing to never tell them who she was or how to find Stevie and her daddy.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

 **Alone and Mourning**

Daryl held the little girl on his lap. She played with a plush giraffe. The older girl pretended to be uninterested in the video game Sam was playing. Jesse returned from the kitchen with a bag of ice. She tossed it back and forth between her hands. Daryl looked at her through narrow eyes. "I don't need that shi.."

Jessie's eyes got wide. "You DO need this…S-H-I-T. And you might want to cut out the S-W-E-A-R-I-N-G" She looked at Maddie, who was now staring at Daryl.

Maddie dropped her head and looked at her lap. Under her breath she muttered, "I know how to spell."

Jessie moved quickly and knelt in front of her. Softly she spoke, "You are so smart. I knew that right away."

She talked to Maddie for a few moments more and then Daryl heard the girl say her name was Maddie and the baby's name is Davy. Then Maddie asked for something to eat and Jessie took her to the kitchen. Daryl smiled at the baby. "Davy, huh? You a little boy?" Davy gurgled spit and smiled back at him. He laughed. "Nah, you're a pretty little girl." He shook the giraffe and touched it to her nose making Davy laugh again.

.

Beth watched the scene silently for a minute but she couldn't help smiling. "You're good with her."

He huffed a low grunt. "Any idiot can make a baby laugh." He hadn't heard her come in and he didn't want her to see him smiling at the baby. He didn't want anyone getting any ideas that he was father material.

Beth squatted down and touched Davy's head. She looked at the child's face. "Her eyes are so beautiful and unusual. The blue is the same color as…" She looked up at Daryl, "Like yours."

Davy yawned and Jessie came back into the room. She took Davy from Daryl. "I better put this peanut to bed and let you get that ice on your ankle."

Daryl watched as Jessie carried Davy upstairs. There was something about her that seemed very familiar. He huffed again. "All babies look alike, you asshole."

xxx

The following morning the pain in Daryl's ankle didn't keep him from getting up out of the chair and voicing his opinion. "You better not scratch my bike!" he warned.

Carol shoved a pair of crutches into his hands. "If you are going to be standing you better use these."

Glenn put his hands in the air "Oookay maybe that isn't such a great idea anyway."

"It isn't." Maggie added. "I'll go. You can't." She hugged Glenn. You're still recovering. Nicholas almost killed you. I'll drive the bike back."

"Are you out of yer mind?" Daryl pointed at her with the crutch. "You are if you think I'm letting you bring my bike back."

"Why?" Maggie countered. "Women ride motorcycles. Besides my brother had a dirt bike, I've been on it."

The argument was getting louder until Aaron spoke up. "I'll bring it back." Everyone stopped talking to listen to him. "You can drive my car." He handed his keys to Maggie.

Daryl bit his lip to keep from letting his foul mood spill out. Aaron was the one to collect all the parts to the bike anyway. It belonged to him first. Still, Daryl was pissed that he couldn't go. "I'll be waitin right here! No screwin around out there. And…" He used a crutch to emphasize his words by tapping the end of it on the ground. "I'll be going out next time. Ain't no one gonna stop me."

xxx

The engine rattled and clunked as the truck rolled to a stop. Henry put it in park and took the keys out of the ignition. Stevie was curled up into a ball as close to the door as she could get. She hadn't spoken since they found what was left of Jose, Regina and the girls. They only recovered one tiny shoe that proved Davy was with them when they were attacked. Stevie had refused to let it go. Every now and then she would look at the shoe and cry silently. He sat for a moment more, then spoke like he was talking to a child. "Stevie, come on darlin, we're going to have to walk from here." She didn't move a muscle so Henry reached out to her.

She batted his hand away. "Don't touch me!" She held a knife in her hand. "I told you to leave me be! GO! GET ON OUT OF HERE!"

"I won't leave you. I can't." He watched her for a few minutes. When she put the knife away and curled back against the door he added, "We can wait a little while longer. It's okay." There wasn't much sense going anywhere right now. They both were exhausted from searching all night. He understood how she felt and wanted to give up too. Without the girls, life just felt meaningless. He loved Stevie too much to surrender to his grief. Somehow, he would help her through this and keep her safe.

.

Henry didn't know how long he was asleep when he was woken by the sound of thumping on the hood of the truck. A walker threw itself against the bumper and clawed at the hood of the truck. Up ahead two staggered down the road. He looked at Stevie. She was sitting up, staring straight ahead as if to look the walker in the eyes. Her hand was on the door handle. A second later she flung her body against the door. She fell out onto the street.

"NO! NO! Henry screamed as he bolted from the driver's side. The walker moved towards Stevie who was on her feet waiting for it to come get her. A sound of a loud engine barley registered in Henry's mind as he squeezed the trigger of his colt 45. Both Stevie and Henry turned to look at the motorcycle and the car that pulled up alongside the truck. A woman was driving the car. She put the window down and pointed a gun at them. "Are you bit?"

"No." Henry answered as He walked around to the driver's side of the truck. "We ran out of gas."

"How many in your group?" Maggie asked.

"Just us. We were overrun. Lost good people."

More walkers began to pile out onto the road. Aaron called out. "We have to move!"

Maggie slid over to the passenger side still holding the gun. "You…" She yelled at Henry. "Drive, and I won't think twice about blowing your brains out if you try anything."

.

Henry glanced once more at the growing number of walkers. He grabbed their bag and forced Stevie into the back of the car. He took the driver's side. And Maggie instructed him to follow Aaron. She pulled Henry's gun from his waistband. His first instinct was to grab her wrist so she couldn't get it. Something told him he should trust these two. Besides he didn't really have a choice at this point. "We're good people. I swear to you, we are. We lost our children, she is in shock, that's all. We have some food and water, you're welcome to it." Henry glanced in the mirror to make sure Stevie was okay. She had resumed her position of curled up against the door.

.

They drove a little further down the road to an abandoned gas station. Henry thought of all the times he'd pull into a place like this for a pack of smokes or a quick fill up. How easy life was back then. He wished he would have appreciated it.

The woman still held the gun on him but the man climbed off the bike and jogged back to the car with a smile on his face. Henry kept his guard up just in case that smile was hiding a darker personality. Maybe he shouldn't have been so willing to go with these folks. Henry lowered the window for the man.

He continued to smile as he spoke. "My name is Aaron and this is Maggie. Although this seems like a kidnapping it isn't. You are free to go if you wish. We'd even like to help you get some gas for your truck if that is what you choose." He waited for the slightest hint that the couple wanted to be set free. When that didn't happen, he continued. "I don't know your story or if you both are healthy." His eyes darted to Stevie. "However, we have a place that is safe and if you'd like to come back with us we can take you there. You would have to have a physical exam and submit to an interview. Then you'd meet our people." He paused for a moment and the smile faded from his face. "Oh, and you'd have to turn over your weapons at least for now."

"Okay but where…" Henry began to speak but Maggie cut him off.

"I need you to get out of the vehicle and put your hands on the hood of the car. I won't hesitate…" she left them figure out on their own that she meant she would put them down if they tried anything.

Slowly Henry climbed out of the car. Stevie did the same but she never bothered to raise her hands or even look at the people who were confronting them. Henry started to have serious doubts. "Maybe this isn't a good idea. We could just go."

Maggie patted him down and took his knife and the gun he had strapped to his ankle. She turned to Stevie next. When Maggie put her hands on her she struggled. Maggie grabbed the back of Stevie's shirt and forced her against the car. "Put your hands back on the hood!"

Henry turned towards Maggie, he growled his words. "Don't hurt her!"

Without looking at him Maggie ordered. "I said don't move! I don't want to kill you."

Henry did as she said only because Maggie had a gun pointed at Stevie. "I swear to Christ you harm one hair on her head I will…"

Aaron interrupted. "It's only a precaution to protect our people. You understand that? This isn't personal. Usually we have time to watch before we bring anyone in, get to know them. Your situation seemed desperate. None of us are safe out here right now. It has to be this way. Okay?"

Henry nodded. He waited as Maggie searched Stevie and took her knife and gun. It was unloaded because they had run out of ammo for it. He climbed back in the car with a question nagging him. Why hadn't these people asked their names? It was enough to keep him from volunteering that information.


End file.
